Apparatus for removing excess coating material from strip edges



United States Patent [72] Inventor James E. LeCroy Birmingham, Alabama [211 App]. No. 779,581 [22] Filed Nov. 27, 1968 [45] Patented Oct. 27, 1970 [73] Assignee United States Steel Corporation a corporation of Delaware [54] APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS COATING MATERIAL FROM STRIP EDGES 6 Claims, 7 Drawing figs.

[52] US. Cl 118/104, 15/308, 118/122 [51] Int. Cl B05c 11/02 [50] Field of Search 1 18/50, 501, I03, 104, 121- I23; ll7/(lnquired) 64- 102; 15/308 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,390 2/ 1949 McDefmOfl 1 18/63 6/1959 i n t 118/103 2,894,856 7/1959 schwendemannetalh 1l8/63X 2,899,339 8/1959 Rakus 118/63X 3,065,730 11 1962 Lyons..... 118/44X 3,102,297 9 1963 Sands... 15/308 3,121,904 2/1964 Scott 15/308 3,140,960 7/1964 Grabczyketal... 118/122 3,370,982 2/1968 Hayunga 15/308 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,0 7,422 3/1960 Germany 15/308 Primary Examiner-Morris Kaplan AttorneyWalter P. Wood ABSTRACT: Twin carriages mounted for movement toward and from the edges of a traveling strip have guide rollers and cutting knives thereon adapted to engage the strip edges. The knives are carried on counterweighted cranks and serve to trim coating buildup in the form of whiskers from the strip as it is drawn along a predetermined path, after adjustment of the carriages to their porper positions. Suction means are disposed adjacent the knives and receive the coating material removed by the knives.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Sheet INVEN TOR. JAMES E. eCROY Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Sheet IN VEN TOR. JAMES E. LeCROY am y Patented Ot. 27, 1970 Sheet 3 ors INVENTOR. JAMES E. LeCROY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In certain strip coating processes, e.g. the electrolytic process for the manufacture of tin plate, an excess of the coating metal accumulates on the strip edges in the form of whiskers and, when the coating is melted by heating, as one of the last steps in the process, the excess material forms beads along the strip edges which have a thickness substantially greater than that of the strip apart from the edges. This increased thickness causes difficultyin coiling the strip and has necessitated trimming off about a half inch of the strip width on both sides. This practice is obviously objectionable because of the added cost and the scrap produced.

I have invented apparatus for scraping the strip edges, after cooling and before remelting, to prevent the formation of these beads of excess coating metal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a preferred embodiment, I provide a beam extending across the path of the strip at a suitable point and mount for traversing movement along the beam a pair of carriages. Each carriage has a guide roller thereon. adapted to engage a strip edge, and a cutting knife, carried on a counterweighted crank, eflective to remove excess coating material when brought against the strip edges. Each carriage has a fluid-pressure cylinder and piston for moving it to its normal effective position and retracting it therefrom. A pneumatic fragmentdisposal system has inlets adjacent the knives whereby whiskers removed from the strip edges are conducted to a collection receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings:

FIG. I is a plan view and FIG. 2 is an elevation, of a portion of an electrolytic tinning line between the coating section and the melting section;

FIG. 3 is an elevation, from the right on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevation such as would be projected on the plane ofline Vl-Vl of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a partial section taken along the line of plane such as would be seen by looking 7, VII-VII of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings and, for the present, particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, strip S which has passed through the coating section of an electrolytic tinning line of known design, is delivered therefrom over an inspection roll 10 and downwardly past a guide roll I], both journaled in bearings (10a and Ila, respectively) columns. A fabricated beam 13a rests on platform 13 and extends transversely of the path of strip S. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the beam has a web 14 and flanges l5. Rails 16 extend along the outer surfaces of the flanges parallel to web 14.

A pair of spaced similar carriages 17 are adapted to travel along rails 16. Each carriage includes a base plate 18 having a post 19 upstanding thereon. Flanges 20 depending from opposite sides of the base plate have horizontal guide rollers 21 joumaled thereon for engaging the upper and lower edges of rails 16 and vertical rollers 22 for engaging the outer lateral faces of the rails. A fluid-pressure cylinder and piston 23 resting on spaced angle bars 24 bridging flanges 15 of beam 13a, has its piston rod pivoted to an angle bracket 25 depending from the undersurface of base plate 18.

connected thereto which extends to a vacuuijn chamber 35. Shaft 29, arms 30'and tube 32 form a rectangular frame or yoke supported for angular adjustment about the axis of the shaft.

At the inner end, tube 32 has a pair of blocks 36, of suitable material, such as a phenol-formaldehyde resin, clamped thereto by screws 37 extending through holes in one and threaded into tapped holes in the other. The adjacent faces of the blocks are recessed to accommodate the end of tube 31 and further to provide a slot 38 and a tool socket 39 (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) communicating therewith. It wiil be observed from FIGS. 4 and 7 that socket 39 is also in directly communicating relation to the adjacent open end of tube 31. Blocks 36, as will shortly appear, form a tool-holding head at the inner end oftube 31.

A crank shaft 40 is journaled in the blocks 36 and has a crank arm 41 on which a counterweight 42 is slidably adjustable. A stop pin 42a limits rotation of shaft 40 under the torque exerted by the counterweight. A tool-holder block 43 extends downwardly from shaft 40 in socket 39 and has a cutting knife 44 secured thereto for engagement with the edge of Strip S under the pressure resulting from the torque applied to shaft 40 by the counterweight. Excess material scraped from the strip edge by knife 44 is highly fragmented and is readily picked up in the airstream entering the end of tube 32.

Brackets 45 depending from blocks 36 support a shaft 46 bridging them and a roller 47 joumaled on the shaft is adapted to engage the strip edge, as shown in FIG. 4, as the carriage is moved toward it. It will be understood that when the strip is traveling between posts 12 and over rolls I0 and II, the carriages may be moved into cooperative relation with the strip edges (FIG. 3) by controlling the admission and exhaust of power fluid to and from cylinders 23. If lateral weave of the strip is substantial, known means may be provided to cause the carriages to maintain continuously the proper cooperative relation with the strip edges.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides simple yet effective means for scraping excess coatremoved, pneumatically to a suitable point of collection.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of my invention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims;-

Iclaim;

I. An apparatus for removing excess coating material from an edge of a strip which travels along a predetermined path, said apparatus comprising a support extending in a direction parallel with the width of the strip and adjacent to the path thereof, a carriage mounted on said support and movable toward and away from the strip path, a yoke mounted on said strip path, a head supported adapted to receive the'edge of the strip, a knife movably mounted on said head for engagement with the edge of the strip, means connected with said knife urging it towards the edge of the strip and said exhaust tube being positioned adjacent said knife whereby to receive the excess coating material removed by the knife.

' 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said head has a socket communicating with said slot, said knife is housed within said socket,

nected with said shaft.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said tube communicates directly with said socket. 

